Suspenders



(No Model.)

1?. H. RICHARDS.

SUSPENDERS.

Patented Feb. 17,1891.

Iii/menial:

gages KZZQWW we Norms Pnms co., PMc'rn-umu, wAsHmcYoN, n. c

UNITED STATES PATENT, CFFICE.

FRANCIS H. RICHARDS, OF HARTFORD, ASSIGNOR TO THE TRAUT & IIINEMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF NEIV BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT.

SUSPENDERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 446,840, dated February17, 1891.

Application filed August 16, 1890. Serial No. 362,231. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS l'I. RICHARDS, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State ofConnecticut, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements inSuspender-Buckles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of buckles having cast-oifs, theobject being to provide an improved buckle in which the buckle is lockedclosed by the cast-off device.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 is a front View of a buckle embodying my present improvements.Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 is a top viewof the buckle shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional View similarto Fig. 2, showing the buckle-plate unlocked and open. Fig. 5 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 4, showing the mode of inserting the lever-plate.

Similar characters designate like parts in all the figures.

My improved buckle consists of three princi pal parts: the frame, thelever-plate, and the cast-off ring. In the particular form of buckleshown in the drawings the frame B consists of the back plate 2, thefront plate 4, the ends 3 and 5, and the arm 6 for locking theleverplate. The front and back plates 2 and 4, together with the ends 3and 5 of the frame, form a short tube, which may be integral, as hereinshown, or may be composite, according to the preference .of themanufacturer. In the front p1ate4there are formed two slots 7 and 9,which are in alignment, and together constitute the lever-plate slot.Intermediate of the length of said lever-plate slot there is aprojection or stop 8, which projects from one side of said slot andstands contiguous to the other side thereof, but separated from saidother side, as indicated at 20 in the drawings. The lever-plate L isbent at 11 to form the inwardly-turned end 12, which is provided withthe teeth 15 for engaging the web of the suspender and is widened oneither side thereof, as at 12 and 12 Fig. 3, to form in part the pivotalconnection between the lever-plate and frame B. The lever-plate extendsdownward from the line of its pivot, and has on the lower end thereofthe strapsupporting hook 1G, and above said hook has the space 14,through which the aforesaid arm 6 projects. This will be seen bycomparison of Figs. 1 and 2. Between the lower end of said arm 6 and theinner side of the hook 16 there is a space a, which is slightly greaterthan the width at Z) of the cast-off ring D. This ring D has connectedthereto the usual suspender-end S, and has at the upper side thereof anenlargement or widened portion 17, which normally rests on the hook l6and extends upward between the leverplate and the arm 6, as indicated inFig. 2, thereby securely locking the lever plate closed.

In the lever-plate, at the bend 11 thereof, corresponding in lateralposition to the aforesaid stop 8, there is a mortise or perforation 18formed in said plate, and through which said stop extends. When about toassemble the several parts of the buckle and. before the hook 16 is bentup into shape, the lever- "plate is inserted through the pivot-slot, asshown in Fig. 5,the lower part 4 of the plate 4 being thrown forward, sothat the lever-plate will pass through said slot under said stop 8. Thenthe lever-plate has been slid entirely through its pivot-slot, the plate4 immediately springs back to its normal position,

(shown in Figs. 2 and 4,) when the stop 8 falls into said mortise 18,and thus locks the leverplate securely in place. After this the hook 16is formed, thereby completing the buckle ready for use.

In operating the buckle the user, taking hold of the Suspender-end,carries the ring D around, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, untilthe enlargement 17 is wholly at one side of the point of the arm 6, whenthe leverplate and said ring may be drawn forward together until thering stands forward of said arm 6, and is then free to be liftedoff fromthe hook 16. In replacing the ring D this operation is reversed, as willbe readily understood.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In a buckle, thecombination, with a buckle-frame having a pivot-slot, substantially asdescribed, of the bent lever-plate pivotally supported at the bendthereof in said slot and having therein a mortise at the bend of saidplate in said slot, and a stop formed on the frame at one side of theslot and projecting thereinto, whereby the leverplate is locked in placeby said stop engaging the lever-plate mortise.

2. In a buckle, the combination of the tnbnlar buckle-frame having thelever-plate pivot-slot and having a stop projecting into said slot fromone side thereof, the part of the buckle-frame carrying said stop beingof spring metal adapted to be sprung out of the normal plane thereof,and the lever-plate passing through said pivot-slot and having a bendtherein, the levenplate being widened within the buckle-frame to form inpart the the lever-plate pivot and having a mortise at the bend thereoffor engaging said buckleframe stop, whereby the pivotal connection ofthe lever-plate is completed, and whereby thebncklcframe and lever-platemay be as scmbled by the method described.

3. In abuckle, the combination of the buckle-frame having thebuckle-plate pivotally carried thereby and having a depending arm, saidbuckle-plate having an opening corresponding to said arm and having ahook below the end of said arm and projecting above the same, and thecast-oil ring having its sides narrower than the space between the hookand the end of the buckle-frame arm and having the upper portion of itsrim wider than said space, whereby said widened part of the cast-offring may be inserted between the lever-plate and buckle-plate arm forlocking the lever-plate closed.

4-. In a buckle, the combination, with the buckle-frame having thepivot-slot and a downwardly-projecting arm, and having a stop,substantially as described, in said slot, of the lever-plate pivoted insaid slot and engaging said stop, whereby said lever-plate is held inplace, said lever-plate having an opening for said projecting arm andbelow said opening a hook, substantially as described, and the cast-oftring for locking the leven plate closed by engaging between said plateand arm above said hook.

FRANCIS ll. RICHARDS.

Vl'itneeses:

HENRY L. RECKARD, Lnwis (1. IIEERMANN.

